THE Guerin murder investigation team set up by the Garda has seized 92,000 in cash in searches in the State, and using information from the team British police and customs officials have seized a further £330,000 in cash.

The investigating team has also discovered 100 firearms, ranging from handguns to automatic assault weapons.

A total of 181 people were arrested and 364 premises searched. Vehicles seized include 16 cars, ranging from a jeep to a top-of-the-range Mercedes, a mechanical digger, two motorcycles and a speedboat.

Fifty-five kilogrammes of cannabis were found along with smaller amounts of other drugs. A video piracy operation involving £400,000 worth of equipment was also uncovered.

A car theft operation was broken up and tens of thousands of pounds worth of sophisticated surveillance equipment was also seized.

The total value of the assets targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau is put at £10 million over the past year, including houses and cash in bank accounts in the State and abroad. Two large trawlers used by drug smugglers have been seized and sold. But in other instances the owners of the assets have put up strong resistance to seizure through the courts.